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Amtrak relaunches US Rail Pass – Travel the country for 30 days for $299

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Re: Amtrak relaunches US Rail Pass – Travel the country for 30 days for $299

#31

Post by distances »

sokoloff wrote: post #19
weimerica wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I did my post-secondary Eurotrip I purchased the Euro pass and scheduled my train travels to be overnight such that I could wake up in a new city. Leave Sweden to wake up in Berlin, leave Berlin to wake up in Nürnberg, etc. Made for a great form of travel IMHO. Got to wake up and watch the sunrise over the countrysides was beautiful. Though I do love your point, I’d love to travel the “Wild West” regions via tra…

I did the same, but it was mostly to avoid having to buy hotel rooms. :)

Sleeping compartments are AFAIK about the same price as hotel rooms. I used to sleep on the benches when a bit younger, but stopped that after a couple of sleepless attempts. Nowadays I do night trains solely for the time saving reasons.

Re: Amtrak relaunches US Rail Pass – Travel the country for 30 days for $299

#32

Post by otabdeveloper4 »

dragontamer wrote: post #2

Train Rides seem to be ideal for any trip less than 4 hours. You don't have as much security concerns, you have far more legroom, and the constant ability to walk around the cabin at all times (often to the dining car where you can get overpriced beer / light meals, but... better than nothing at all). Hour-for-hour, a train ride is far more comfortable than a plane ride. However, once we start looking at 4-hour or 8-…

Trains compete with cars, no with airplanes.

People still make long-distance car trips despite the fact that airplans exist.

Re: Amtrak relaunches US Rail Pass – Travel the country for 30 days for $299

#33

Post by musicale »

mynameisash wrote: post #20
walto2 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What kind of shitty train does only 50mph? In the US, Amtrak shares rails controlled by the freight operators. Amtrak trains can be delayed indefinitely, as the freight trains always get priority, even when they are off schedule. These delays are unpredictable in timing and length. I used to do the Seattle/Portland route regularly and 1 - 2 hours extra/unplanned travel time wasn't uncommon. Average speed was well l…

A few years back, we flew to SEA->MSP to visit family but opted for Amtrak for the return trip. It did happen to save us a couple hundred dollars and the circus that is TSA & airport security, but it was 36 hours. When we were moving, it was a reasonable speed (certainly nowhere close to a TGV). The problem was that we had multiple stops, such as maybe four hours sitting in Spokane. I would happily spend 12hrs on a t…

The local 1-hour stops and lengthy freight train delays really slow things down drastically for Amtrak. If the train was just moving all the time it would be a lot less painful.

The trains are stinky and dumpy, usually with absurdly high fares, but if they kept moving they would be tolerable.

The rail pass is nice because it allows for stopovers, but the Amtrak trips in between are going to be a drag.

Perhaps some trains should remake themselves to be more like cruises, with luxury amenities (delicious food and drink, gym/exercise classes/spa/wave pool, on-train entertainment, live DJ/music and dance floor, interesting lectures and debates, celebrity meet & greet, arts and crafts, on-train library and book discussions, games and social activities, movie theater, etc.) so you wouldn't actually want to get off the train and you wouldn't care about the horrible delays. There could be stopovers at interesting places, and local tours. Or maybe there could be "work cars" with comfortable desks/chairs, high-speed internet access, coffee and snack service, etc..

Re: Amtrak relaunches US Rail Pass – Travel the country for 30 days for $299

#34

Post by astrange »

jdhn wrote: post #14
dragontamer wrote: post #2

Train Rides seem to be ideal for any trip less than 4 hours. You don't have as much security concerns, you have far more legroom, and the constant ability to walk around the cabin at all times (often to the dining car where you can get overpriced beer / light meals, but... better than nothing at all). Hour-for-hour, a train ride is far more comfortable than a plane ride. However, once we start looking at 4-hour or 8-…

>You don't have as much security concerns For now. I feel that it's only a matter of time before the TSA gets involved, and that train ride that was hyped up as being quicker than a plane ride will suddenly no longer be as quick.

It could get even faster if they'd stop boarding the train as if it was a plane at some stations.

https://www.vox.com/2014/3/31/5563600/everything-you-need-to...

https://www.vox.com/2018/12/4/18123624/amtrak-boarding-rules...

Re: Amtrak relaunches US Rail Pass – Travel the country for 30 days for $299

#35

Post by sokoloff »

distances wrote: post #31
sokoloff wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did the same, but it was mostly to avoid having to buy hotel rooms. :)

Sleeping compartments are AFAIK about the same price as hotel rooms. I used to sleep on the benches when a bit younger, but stopped that after a couple of sleepless attempts. Nowadays I do night trains solely for the time saving reasons.

Yeah, this was broke interning 20 year-old me, so 2nd class seating it was, because that was pre-paid with the pass.

Re: Amtrak relaunches US Rail Pass – Travel the country for 30 days for $299

#36

Post by culopatin »

otabdeveloper4 wrote: post #32
dragontamer wrote: post #2

Train Rides seem to be ideal for any trip less than 4 hours. You don't have as much security concerns, you have far more legroom, and the constant ability to walk around the cabin at all times (often to the dining car where you can get overpriced beer / light meals, but... better than nothing at all). Hour-for-hour, a train ride is far more comfortable than a plane ride. However, once we start looking at 4-hour or 8-…

Trains compete with cars, no with airplanes. People still make long-distance car trips despite the fact that airplans exist.

Driving is about the freedom of either having a car when you get there, or about making it a road trip taking detours on your way there.

None are available with the train unless you can take your car with you. At that point, the competition is over between them unless the train is much cheaper, which is not the case in the US, not to mention a 4h car trip takes 8 with Amtrak. So the train has nothing going for it against a car at least in my area.

If you don’t need a car then no one will choose to sit for 8hs for more money when you can get on a plane for 1.5h plus 30m of security and be there.

Re: Amtrak relaunches US Rail Pass – Travel the country for 30 days for $299

#37

Post by blacktriangle »

CPLNTN wrote: post #17
dragontamer wrote: post #2

Train Rides seem to be ideal for any trip less than 4 hours. You don't have as much security concerns, you have far more legroom, and the constant ability to walk around the cabin at all times (often to the dining car where you can get overpriced beer / light meals, but... better than nothing at all). Hour-for-hour, a train ride is far more comfortable than a plane ride. However, once we start looking at 4-hour or 8-…

Living in Europe and traveling by train for 7/8 hours every two months for work. What kind of shitty train does only 50mph? I would say the convenience it’s highly dependent on the destination. Here the train station it’s often near the city center while to get to the airport you need additional transportation, As you said you have more legroom but also there is enough space to use a laptop and actually work connecte…

Huge difference between US and European rail: in the US freight companies own the rail lines and the commuter rail rents them. This has two implications. First, rails are designed not for high-speed passenger trains but for massive lumbering cargo trains that can't go much faster than 50mph. Second, it means passenger rail has the lowest priority so it can be stopped and made to wait at any time as determined by the actual rail owners.

Then there's also the last mile problem in that very very few cities in America are actual walkable the way European ones are. For a few years I had to commute to Chicago, and that was awesome. I could take the train in, then walk to a metro station and be on my way. But for most destinations, you'll need to drive to and from the train station, so what's the point?

Re: Amtrak relaunches US Rail Pass – Travel the country for 30 days for $299

#38

Post by blacktriangle »

musicale wrote: post #33
mynameisash wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A few years back, we flew to SEA->MSP to visit family but opted for Amtrak for the return trip. It did happen to save us a couple hundred dollars and the circus that is TSA & airport security, but it was 36 hours. When we were moving, it was a reasonable speed (certainly nowhere close to a TGV). The problem was that we had multiple stops, such as maybe four hours sitting in Spokane. I would happily spend 12hrs on a t…

The local 1-hour stops and lengthy freight train delays really slow things down drastically for Amtrak. If the train was just moving all the time it would be a lot less painful. The trains are stinky and dumpy, usually with absurdly high fares, but if they kept moving they would be tolerable. The rail pass is nice because it allows for stopovers, but the Amtrak trips in between are going to be a drag. Perhaps some tr…

Ouch the fairs are real, depending on how far out you plan air travel is often cheaper.

Re: Amtrak relaunches US Rail Pass – Travel the country for 30 days for $299

#39

Post by cameldrv »

walto2 wrote: post #18
CPLNTN wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Living in Europe and traveling by train for 7/8 hours every two months for work. What kind of shitty train does only 50mph? I would say the convenience it’s highly dependent on the destination. Here the train station it’s often near the city center while to get to the airport you need additional transportation, As you said you have more legroom but also there is enough space to use a laptop and actually work connecte…

> What kind of shitty train does only 50mph? In the US, Amtrak shares rails controlled by the freight operators. Amtrak trains can be delayed indefinitely, as the freight trains always get priority, even when they are off schedule. These delays are unpredictable in timing and length. I used to do the Seattle/Portland route regularly and 1 - 2 hours extra/unplanned travel time wasn't uncommon. Average speed was well l…

And when you say indefinitely, it really is. I was once on an Amtrak train that, at one point in the trip, was 25 hours behind schedule. Another time I arrived 8 hours late. On the long haul trains, if the segment you're taking is towards the end of the line, the arrival time of the train is very unpredictable.

Re: Amtrak relaunches US Rail Pass – Travel the country for 30 days for $299

#40

Post by otabdeveloper4 »

culopatin wrote: post #36
otabdeveloper4 wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Trains compete with cars, no with airplanes. People still make long-distance car trips despite the fact that airplans exist.

Driving is about the freedom of either having a car when you get there, or about making it a road trip taking detours on your way there. None are available with the train unless you can take your car with you. At that point, the competition is over between them unless the train is much cheaper, which is not the case in the US, not to mention a 4h car trip takes 8 with Amtrak. So the train has nothing going for it aga…

> Driving is about the freedom of either having a car when you get there, or about making it a road trip taking detours on your way there.

Generally, no.

The calculus changes significantly when children (more than 1), old people and/or luggage is involved.

Most travel isn't just traveling with a suitcase and +1 for tourism purposes.

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